If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

New, Updated Drivers Coming To Linux 2.6.32

Phoronix: New, Updated Drivers Coming To Linux 2.6.32

With the Linux 2.6.32 kernel merge window opening up this month, open-source developers around the world have been busy working on their code that they wish to push into this next major kernel update. There is already 3D and KMS support coming to the R600/700 hardware from ATI with this next kernel release along with the KMS page-flipping ioctl and other graphics-related changes, but now Novell's Greg Kroah-Hartman has written a lengthy message detailing the status of the different drivers in the staging tree for Linux 2.6.32. Over three dozen Linux staging drivers are mentioned, but there's a few interesting comments in particular...

Greg's message is an interesting read about the dynamics of peripheral code in the kernel and really makes it painfully clear that technology is all about people, both in terms of innovation and maintenance. Tech does not just happen by itself but is dependent on the skills, ambitions and resources of individuals. I hope that some people will step up to adopt a few of those drivers.

Really, you Android guys need to get aboard and show your colleagues over at HTC what open source development really is.

The Android platform is the messiest linux system I have ever used, with OS "ROMs" (that is, not distros in the usual sense but bundles of packages wrapped up by single individuals), custom boot loaders and hacks to gain root access. The fact that some guys needed to reverse engineer the freakin HTC Magic kernel to enable netfilter/iptables and tethering capabilites because HTC refused to release the code for a long time is just sad (they just did though).

If the Android kernel guys start working more closely with the main kernel project perhaps HTC and others will realize the benefits and do so too, which in turn might make the platform more interesting for other projects as well. I would not mind being able to dual boot the new Maemo stack on my Android phone.

Hmmm, looks like Greg KH could end up with a bit of egg on his face by rattling the sword on the MS code.

I asked a Microsoft spokesperson whether Microsoft had had second thoughts about making its Hyper-V code available under the GPL. The spokesperson denied that was the case and said the primary person responsible for the Hyper-V drivers had been traveling in Europe for the past two weeks “meeting with various OSS (open-source software) constituencies and customers.”
I wonder if and when Kroah-Hartman will update his driver-status log….